There are basically two type of web designers. One who goes straight to the PC and designs. Then there is one who does homework first and then put together visuals.

Do we really have to do homework like handmade sketches and then do visuals?

I believe a highly experienced and skilled designer can deliver the same results without any handmade sketches? What do you think?

ralphm
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2012-07-18T08:21:12Z —
#2

I would argue that both approaches are wrong, because you can't produce a useful design until you've fully studied the content and worked out how it should be organized. Once you've done that, you basically have a wireframe ... which forms the basis for the design. At that point, you can pretty much just add some simple decoration in the browser itself.

4mdesigners
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2012-07-19T05:15:11Z —
#3

So for instance if we are doing a non-profit website, we should first understand the cause and what content elements we should put up first.

Btw, my homework I meant necessary research about business, competition and so on. Sketch is just one part..

ralphm
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2012-07-19T08:48:58Z —
#4

4mdesigners said:

we should first understand the cause and what content elements we should put up first.

Yes indeed.

kohoutek
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2012-07-19T12:06:00Z —
#5

There is only one wrong approach, and that is creating a site in Photoshop (or similar tool) without actually doing the homework prior. If you don't know who the audience is, if you don't know what the content is, if you don't know how the site's supposed to work and function, then you have no foundation to base your design on.

In my view, any designer who is solid at HTML/CSS and other aspects of web design can use pretty much any tool. If you have the content, if you know what the structure will be, then I doubt it'll make much difference whether you take that content and conceptualize a design in Photoshop or directly in the browser. A good designer should know what works well and what is impractical for the web, imho.

4mdesigners
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2012-07-22T06:51:58Z —
#6

Tool is a tool. If you get yourself stuck to a tool, it will block your creative thoughts.

So to sum up:1. You need to know your content upside down.2. You need to stay away from tool until you have a wireframe in hand.3. Get the wireframe approved and then design it on photoshop (aesthetics)

Markdidj
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2012-07-22T13:01:04Z —
#7

What a load of tosh. Give me a website made in photoshop, and the right team behind me, and I'll build it exactly how you want it.Give me a site made with 3D software and the right team, and I'll build you it in HTML5 and CSS3. An early example, visit www.livescript.co.uk/maze/dark/ in Safari and Chrome.

Open up your boxes and jump out! Use the tools to build your wireframe, either in 2D or 3D

There is no definative way to do anything. Even a wrong way for some is right!

You can only do homework on that that is documented.

Markdidj
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2012-07-22T13:12:48Z —
#8

Sorry, shouldn't have opened it so hash but it gets to me when people say there is right and wrong ways in design. There are only obstacles.

cgCody
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2012-07-23T02:39:28Z —
#9

In my opinion, one should always plan it out, otherwise, it's not technically "designing". That is to say; simply picking out a color scheme and layout that looks cool, and deciding onwhether or not to use rounded corners is not design.

design -Noun: A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, orother object before it is built or made.Verb: Decide upon the look and functioning of (a building, garment, or other object), typically bymaking a detailed drawing of it.

With art, you can do whatever you want. And one can argue that there is a certain level of artin web design. To "design", however, literally means to research and plan out the functionalityof something before it is developed.

For example, designing a car requires research into trends in style, feature demand, safetytechnology, space required to fit components/people, etc. One doesn't just draw up a coollooking car and start building it. For websites, you'd research things like color theory, currenttrends in style, features the competition include on their website, who the target audience willbe (This is the big one! If you're designing a website for a senior citizen community center,you would probably use a larger sized text.)

smith_warnes
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2012-07-23T07:33:16Z —
#10

In My opinion it is very Important to draw a rough sketch which will reveal how your design will look when it is complete.Although the design is not final,it will naturally undergo many changes once you actually start implementing it.There are many tools available which help to get an idea how your website will look finally even before it is complete.A professional web designer also has to make plans to design a site which will satisfy the customer.He has to choose colors properly,to decide this targeted audience has to be kept in mind and the most important point-Content Needs to be really good and worthy.

ralphm
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2012-07-23T08:33:09Z —
#11

smith_warnes said:

In My opinion it is very Important to draw a rough sketch which will reveal how your design will look ...

Indeed, that's worth doing. The question is, what goes on before that stage? IMHO, too many sites start at this point, meaning that content is subservient to design—which I'd argue is the wrong approach.